Staff Sgt. Shannon Bramlett, 31, accepted a Purple Heart and an Army Commendation medal with one oak leaf cluster during a medal ceremony Friday the Proving Ground gym in Russellville.

Friends and family gathered amid the heat to watch as Maj. Juan Renaud, currently stationed at Fort Knox, presented the medals “with heartfelt thanks” to Bramlett.

Renaud served with Bramlett — or “Bam Bam” as his buddies call him — during the Operation Iraqi Freedom III campaign. Renaud told the crowd he had the honor to preside over several medal ceremonies, and he is filled with goosebumps each time he hears the personal stories of each soldier.

“I”m telling you, you’re not an American if you don’t get goosebumps when hear you the stories of these guys,” Renaud told the crowd. “This day has been a long time coming for Bam Bam. He deserved this years ago.”

Bramlett was injured in an IED (roadside bomb) accident during Iraqi Freedom III.

On the morning of Sept. 12, 2005, Bramlett was the outside gunner in his convoy, which had just passed a police checkpoint near the Hill Embassy. During the attack, Bramlett was the only one in his party to sustain visible injuries, although he said his injuries looked worse than they actually were and were easily treated. He said he never lost consciousness and checked on the other soldiers in his group for injuries and tried to wake the driver of the Humvee.

“I tried to wake him up,” Bramlett recalled of the time just after the IED exploded. “I kept saying, drive, drive, drive. Then he woke up and we drove off.”

Bramlett served 10 years in the Army, both active and in the reserves. During his active duty, Bramlett served three tours — two in Iraq and one in Kosovo. His first tour in Iraq was during the invasion in 2003 and 2004 with 1st Charlie Company of the 82nd Airborne Division. He said their primary mission was to secure bridges and planes for convoys.

During Iraqi Freedom III, Bramlett’s unit trained Iraqi soldiers and even fought with them in battle. During the explosion, there were more Iraqi troops than American in the convoy. Of switching from fighting to training and serving along side Iraqis, Bramlett said there was a language barrier, but other than that they acted as one big unit.

“We were embedded within the Iraqi army,” Bramlett said. “It was different at first, but after that, we functioned as one unit. There was a language barrier, but we just came up with our own communication and terminology.”

Renaud said he was honored to be asked to not just attend the medal ceremony, but to pin the medals on his friend and former unit buddy. He said he came because Bramlett invited him.

“I told him to let me know when it was going to happen and I would come watch,” Renaud said of why he was there to support Bam Bam. “He deserves these medals. He served his country. He earned it.”

Renaud said it was good to see his buddy again and that Bam Bam had not changed.

“You expect people to change,” Renaud said. “Bam Bam is the same. He has stayed true to himself.”

Staff Sgt. John Kilborn also served with Bramlett and Renaud in Iraq during Iraqi Freedom III. He took a three-day leave from Fort Riley, Kan., to attend the ceremony and echoed Renaud’s characterization of their friend.

“I came because Bam Bam is a buddy of mine,” Kilborn said. “He deserved the Purple Heart. I was glad to be here to see him receive it.”

Friends and family gave Bramlett a standing ovation after Renaud pinned the Purple Heart on Bramlett.

Chris Bader, a representative from U.S. Rep. Steve Womack’s office, said the congressman’s office had to request investigative work into the event and actually took sworn testimony from two eyewitnesses to verify Bramlett earned the Purple Heart. Bader opened the ceremony by saying it was a profound honor to be invited.

“On behalf of the congressman and his office,” Bader said, “I want to thank you and your family for your sacrifice and courage.”